Jew’s harps from the Bronze Age!

I have now travelled for some days in the Northern parts of China. In Chifeng (Inner Mongolia) we could not find the jew’s harp we were searching for. Today we suceeded more, at the City Museum of Chaoyang (Liaoning), were we saw two well preserved jew’s harps from the Bronze Age, from the earliest phase of the Xiajiadian culture. They were made of thin, delicate pieces of bone, more than three thousand years ago, perhaps even more than four thousand. The museum dates them to the period from 2146 to 1029 BC. They are definitely the earliest jew’s harps ever found. Next week I will get more information about the objects and the archaeological context. My deepest thanks go to Prof. Fang Jianjun, Tianjin Conservatory of Music who informed me about these finds. I am also thankful to my great travel companions Mao and Shelly. Without their kind assistance it would not be easy for a foreigner like me to travel here, far from the tourist tracks.

Mao taking photos of the treasures, which can be glimpsed to the very right. .

My friends and travel partners Mao og Shelly (in the middle) joined by two local representatives from Chaoyang.

The exterior part of the City Museum in Chaoyang, with a gratified jew’s harp researcher.